Ford Ba Cobra ..... My Way

[xlnt6]

Thanks again guys.

By providing a better escape path, as you do with the side vents, you effectively improve air flow through the entire engine bay. Have you monitored engine bay temps at all... with vents opened/blocked to quantify the advantage?

cheers

love your work

tom

Hi Tom, I haven't had much of a chance to meaure the temp diff yet. I have a thermocouple for my multimeter and intend to do some testing, but Melb is so cold at the moment, the huge temperature differentials don't provide the best test conditions. Once it warms up a little the real impact can be measured. ie high temp day will elevate under bonnet temps, and makes it harder to dissipate the heat. What I did do was a few quick checks of pressure areas under the bonnet to determine if the venting area was a high pressure area (which it was). Given the additional venturi effect of air movement past the vents, meant it should work well.

Cobra - well... I kind of think a Cobra should look like a Shelby Cobra. Never agreed with Mustang Cobras, or Falcon Cobras. You have an individual car - needs its own name.

The side vents are definately very functional on my Cobra, I could imagine just as functional on a turbo car, probably more. I would prefer yours more in the Cobra style (vertical angled louvres), and black.

Fair enough. Actually I prefer the mustang cobra sytle to the AC Cobra, etc. Again it's a personal thing. Louvres too me are "old" style before modern techniques were available to make plastic moulded vents, etc. I wasn't prepared to manufacture vents completely from scratch when I could modify something that I believe looked the part already. The colour matches the other silver flutes on the side skirts and they are horizontal as well (ie matched). I plan to add a few discrete extra "Cobra" markings (inside, etc), but have opted away from any of the other factory available "Cobra" badges, etc as I figured they didn't suit, ie 427 Cobra, given it's not 427 cubes it's doesn't make much sense, maybe 427 rwkW ??? now your talking !!!

Cheers

Robin.

[xlnt6]

Why do you have a vent in the bumper on each side? is air intake from both sidesor only one?

Forgot one...... I was going to run a joiner pipe from one to the other, but time ran out, so at the moment the drivers side vent feeds the airbox, the passenger side is just to match.

Cheers

Robin.

[SavageF6]

respect.

Robin, how do you find the Yoko v103s?? I'm looking at new tyres, and the Advans are $200 less than the PS2 per corner!!!

[xlnt6]

Robin, how do you find the Yoko v103s?? I'm looking at new tyres, and the Advans are $200 less than the PS2 per corner!!!

Well they are chalk and cheese when compared to the Hankook K104s I had on before them. Straight line grip is very good. Even still I can spin them in 1st and 2nd, but that said I don't think everyone is making as much power, so they would most likely be fine for a majority of the modified XR6Ts.

Certainly I'd like to have bought the PS2, but the sizes in 19s weren't correct. Even if I did, I was talking with Craig (Geea), and he thinks that I'd even be spinning those when pushed. Beside straight line grip, every other facet is excellent, ie turn-in and side load grip. I haven't pushed it hard in the wet, cause I don't think that's very smart even if the tyres are meant to be able to handle it. I haven't had them on for long enough to judge wear / mileage, but given the compound rating (180 I think) they probably need replacing by 20000ks.

Cheers

Robin.

[XR6T4ME]

Hi Robin,

As others have all said ....NICE JOB ! Great colour by the way

When I first saw you a year back @ Kmart Burwood the car stood out then and I was impressed. When I saw it again in the flesh @ HPF BVWII the detail was even more impressive and it shows a lot of thought has gone into it.

Sweet sounding engine when its on song. awesome!

Frank

[xlnt6]

Well a bit of water has gone under the bridge since this post was first created, so I decided it was time for an update. I've continued to customise things, but they are more subtle than the external changes. Rather than explain everything again, some of the threads already exist, so I've provided a link to them from here. Here's a list of the most significant changes:

1. Fitting of a 4.11 diff

http://www.fordxr6turbo.com/forum/index.ph...c=32079&hl=

2. Oil catch can system

http://www.fordxr6turbo.com/forum/index.ph...c=31965&hl=

3. HID headlight converions

http://www.fordxr6turbo.com/forum/index.ph...c=32616&hl=

4. Pole Position ECU/Fuse/gauge pod

http://www.fordxr6turbo.com/forum/index.ph...c=28878&hl=

http://www.fordxr6turbo.com/forum/index.ph...c=34185&hl=

In the next post I'll detail up my latest changes the fitting of Dual Zone CC and piano black features.

Cheers

Robin.

[DAFEY]

well done on the car mate, looks like you have yourself one sweet ride, just a question though, one which may have been asked already, but where are the stripes and the cobra decals? gotta have those

[xlnt6]

When I first ordered my XR6T back in 03, I wanted Dual Zone CC, but unfortunately it wasn't an option at the time. About 4 months later it became an option, but it was all too late. Well I finally have got one back on Ford and fitted it myself. Thanks to pioneers like Ninka, all the whys and wherefores of fitting Dual Zone CC have now been sorted, but I decided I wanted to highlight a few things for myself which others might find useful.

I wanted to fit a piano black ICC from a Fairlane rather than a FPV/Fairmont style one. The plan was to customise the interior into a more luxury style kind of a feel but keeping the sporty nature of the T. I had earlier fitted a carbon fibre trim kit which covered the centre console, door handle trims and dash spears, so the plan was to piano black the left/right dash vents, the rear panel of the centre console, the ICC (came that way), the gauge pod and the instrument cluster surround.

Fitting Dual Zone means you lose your ICC clock, so I fitted an overhead console clock (FPV style) and re-finished it with piano black as well. While I was at it, I also fitted an electrochromatic rear vision mirror and vanity mirror illumination light behind the sunvisors, as well as blue illumination courtesy lighting in the door trims (of all four doors) and at the rear of the centre console. Fitting all the lights, etc meant that I needed to modify both the passenger and drivers side main looms, as well as all four door looms and the roof loom to take all the extra wiring. I followed the factory wiring manual and just added the wires to the factory connectors and hey presto it all comes to life. While it sounds easy, it's a big job and requires trim removal, and cutting and altering your factory looms. Given that the dual zone CC required dash removal and seats out, what's a bit more when you car is in bits anyway !!!

Now Ninka has detailed the Dual Zone fittment really well, so I am not going to recover any of that info. See this post http://www.fordxr6turbo.com/forum/index.ph...c=26015&hl=

Here's some further info that isn't covered. You need to fit the following heater/AC box parts:

1. HIM to Motor Loom P/N BA18B574A

2. Extra Motor shaft P/N BA19K752BKT

3. Motor P/N BA19E694

When you fit the extra motor shaft you need to re-use your original shaft, but cut it down just past half way. I cut my one half way and it was a little short, but still was OK. Once fitted you now have independant air control for the passenger and driver's side.

You don't need a complete new dash loom or engine loom, just a passenger door loom and mirror. I modified by factory door loom by fitting the extra wires for the external temp sensor and saved some $$. I also fitted the auto headlight function, but you need a complete new headlight/blinker assembly. I got one from a Territory wreck and took the relevant bits and fitted to my switch assembly (Territory is different as it has rear wipers as well). The sun sensor is P/N BA19E663A, and you can re-use you existing centre dash trim piece by cutting a 19mm (3/4 inch) hole thru it carefully using a hole saw. It just plugs into an existing connection on your loom.

Once everything is physically installed, you need to fit your original Low Series BEM into your car (otherwise it won't start) and get to your Ford dealer. Note, you will need a Hi Series BEM to drive the Dual Zone CC. Ford will need to reprogram a few things using PDS or WDS. Namely the BEM to PCM, enable the HIM for Dual Zone, recode the Audio system, recode your ignition keys (make sure you take both sets of keys), and also your remote locks. I used Etheridge Ford at Vermont (top blokes) and it cost less than $100.

Anyway, I'm happy with the results and the uniqueness of the car. I've got a few other things planned, once I get to them, I'll post them up. Pics in the next post.

Cheers

Robin.

Edited 15/04/07 01:52 AM by xlnt6

[xlnt6]

New Dual Zone ICC in Piano Black with Pole Position 3 gauge pod and Timex gauges

Piano Black and Carbon Fibre Trims

Clock and Electrochromatic Mirror

Edited 15/04/07 02:28 AM by xlnt6

[xlnt6]

Blue Courtesy Door Illumination

Interior ICC/Dash Lighting

I modified the ICC lighting to be blue for the majority of the controls, and white for the lower 4 buttons, Auto/on button and and temp up/down. If the temp up/down is blue it masks the red "hotter" arrow, white works much better. Also all blue is overload and the white balances it out nicely.

Cheers

Robin.